Trip device



R. L. RUELLE TRIP DEVICE April 30, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 9, 1962 April 30, 1963 R. L. RUELLE 3,087,161

TRIP DEVICE Filed Jan. 9, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 J90 a; 2 -90 544 E/ 1 Ti? 54 v a;

72 Q 70 t 70 4 I I /z United States Patent Ofice 3,087,161 Patented Apr. 30, 1963 3,087,161 TRIP DEVICE Roland L. Ruelle, Maltlen, Mass., assignor to The Standard Rivet Company, South Boston, Mass., a corporation of New Hampshire Filed Jan. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 165,081 8 Claims. (Cl. 1106) This invention relates to apparatus for operating on shoes and more particularly to a trip device for initiating the operation of such apparatus.

At many stages in the manufacture of shoes it is typically necessary to accurately locate one portion of the shoe before initiating an operation thereon. One such step is the placing of a rivet at the toe of the sole of a shoe as is commonly done in the making of womens pointed-toe shoes. Heretofore in this riveting process, the operator had to ascertain the correct position for the shoe and then had to manually initiate the riveting operation. This process had to be executed relatively slowly or an undue number of shoes would be improperly riveted.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for operating upon shoes in which the initiation of the operation is conditioned upon the proper positioning of the shoe. Further objects are to provide such apparatus in which operation is initiated by the placing of a shoe in proper position, which is simple and reliable in operation, which may be operated rapidly, and which is of relatively simple and inexpensive construction.

In one aspect the invention contemplates a trip device for use in combination with apparatus for operating upon the toe of a shoe, said trip device comprising shoe positioning means adapted to fit within the toe of a shoe, trigger means at the tip of said shoe positioning means, and means for conditioning the operation of said apparatus upon the engagement of said trigger means with the toe of a shoe.

In another aspect the invention contemplates a trip device comprising shoe positioning means adapted to fit within the toe of a shoe, trip means engageable by the heel of a shoe the toe of which is hooked over said shoe positioning means, and means responsive to movement of said trip means for initiating the operation of said apparatus.

For the purpose of illustration a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a rivet press;

FIG. 2 is a similar view to enlarged scale and partly in section of a rivet press die;

FIG. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a trip mechanism; and

FIG. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, the concept of the present invention is shown as applied to a conventional rivet press adapted for applying split rivets to the toes of womens shoes. The press is built around an arched frame which supports a plunger 12 and a curved anvil rod 14 in alignment with one another. lournaled in the frame 10 is a drive shaft 16 which is preferably coupled to an appropriate source of rotary power through a conventional solenoid-operated one-revolution clutch. The shaft =16 carries two eccentrics 18 and 20 which, by means of collars 22 and 24, drive associated connecting rods 26 and 28, respectively. The reciprocating component of the motion of the connecting rod 26 is coupled to the plunger 12 by means of the lever 30 which is pivotally mounted on the frame 10 by the pin 32. The necessary lateral play between the lever 30 and the plunger 12 is provided for by a pin and slot connection 34 between the two elements. An automatic rivet feed device 55 provides rivets to the plunger at the station 56.

The connecting rod 28 is adapted to straighten a pair of links 38, 40, one of which (38) is pivotally connected to the frame at 42, thereby driving the rod 44 later-ally with respect to the frame. The rod 44 is slidably journaled to the frame in a bearing 46 and includes, at its end furthest from the links, a wedge member 48. The anvil 14 is slidably mounted with a vertical freedom of movement in a supporting pillar 58 which is rigid with the frame 10. The upper tip of the anvil includes a splitn'vet spreading die '52 as may be seen in FIG. 2 and the lower end of the anvil rests on the wedge member 48.

The operation of the press itself is as follows. A single revolution of the shaft 16, for example as produced by a one revolution clutch, causes the plunger 12 to execute both a downward and an upward or return stroke, the plunger carrying with it a rivet from the automatic feed device 55 as it passes in the downward direction. Simultaneously, the we-dging member 48 drives the anvil 14 upwardly to meet the plunger, the rivet being spread by the die 52. The rivet would of course be inserted through whatever workpiece was, at that moment, positioned over the anvil.

In the device illustrated, a trip mechanism 60 having an upwardly projecting trip rod 61 is mounted adjacent the anvil 14 on a bracket 62. The upper end of the rod 61 carries a fitting 63 appropriate for engaging the inner surface of a shoes heel. Also projecting the trip mechanism 60 is a short length of flexible Bowden cable 64 which extends upwardly into a groove 66 cut into the upper portion of the anvil 14. The end of the cable passes beneath the die 52 so that its outer casing moves with the anvil 14 and the center wire 67 of the cable includes at its tip a bead '68 which projects only slightly beyond the end of the anvil. The present invention contemplates that the operation of the press be conditioned upon the engagement of this head 68 with the inner surface of the toe of the shoe upon which the press is to operate. The means for accomplishing this conditioning and for actually initiating the operation is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The press itself is arranged so that its operation cycle is initiated by the closing of the circuit through the switch 70 which can, for example, engage a solenoidoperated one-revolution clutch. The switch 70 is operable by the depression of a pin 72 and the trip rod 61 passes through the trip mechanism housing 75 in alignment with this pin. The rod 61 is urged upwardly and out of engagement with the pin '72 by the coil spring 76 bearing against the collar 78. The lower end of the spring rests on a support 80. The upward movement of the rod 61 is limited by the engagement of a similar collar 82 with the support When in its upper position, the rod 61 is further prevented from depressing the pin 72 by a scar '84 which engages a shoulder 65 on the rod 61. The sear is formed of flat spring metal stock and is fastened to the support 80 by the screw 86.

A cam 88 is pivotally mounted on a side wall of the trip mechanism housing 75 as at 90 and is urged in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in FIG. 5, by the coil spring 92. The lower end of the spring 92 is fastened to a hook 93 secured to the housing 75. The center wire 67 of the Bowden cable 64 passes through a bushing 96 in the housing 75 and is pivotally attached to the cam at 95, which point of attachment is on the opposite side of the pivot 90 from the attachment of the spring 92. The point of attachment and the shape of the cam are such that an inward movement of the center wire causes the cam 88 to deflect the sear 84 out of engagement with 3 -the'trip rod 61'so' thata'suitable pressure applied to the upper end of the trip rod will actuate the switch 70.

From the above explanation it will be apparent that a press, or any other apparatus for operating upon a shoe, equipped with a trip mechanism according to the invention may be operated at a high rate of speed. The operator need only hook the toe of the shoe over a shoe positioning means, such as the anvil 14, and bring the heel down against the trip rod 61 Whose freedom of movement is substantially transverse the portion of the anvil which is inserted in the shoe. The apparatus will then initiate its own operation conditioned upon the proper positioning of the shoe.

While a particular embodiment has been shown for the purpose of illustration, it should be understood that the invention includes all modifications and equivalents falling Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with apparatus for operating upon a shoe, a trip device comprising shoe positioning means adapted to fit within the toe of a shoe, trip means engageable by the heel of a shoe the toe of which is hooked over said shoe positioning means, and meansresponsive to movement of said trip means for initiating the operation of said apparatus. 1

2. In combination with apparatus for operating upon the toe portion of a shoe, a trip device comprising shoe positioning means adapted to fit within the toe of a shoe, trigger means at the tip of said shoe positioning means, and means for conditioning the operation of said apparatus upon the engagement of said trigger means with the toe of a shoe.

3. In combination with apparatus for operating upon the toe portion of a shoe, a trip device comprising shoe positioning means adapted to fit Within the toe of a shoe, normally locked trip means engageable by the inner surface of the heel of a shoe the toe of which is hooked over said shoe positioning means, trigger means at the end of said shoe positioning means for releasing said trip means, and means responsive to movement of said trip means for initiating operation of said apparatus.

4. A trip device accordin gto claim -3 in whieh the trip means is locked by a sear and engagement of said trigger means with the toe of a shoe releases said sear,

5 In combination with a rivet press for inserting a rivet into the toe of a shoe, saidrivet press being adapted to complete a riveting cycle once initiated and including an elongate rivet anvil over which the toe of a shoe may be hooked, a trip device comprising: normally locked trip means positioned so as tol'be 'engageable by the inner surface of the heel of a sho'elthe toe of which is hooked over said anvil; a switch actuable by movement of said trip means for initiating the' operation of said press; and trigger means at the end of said rivet anvil for releasing said trip means in response to the presence of a shoe.

6. In combination' with arivet press for inserting a rivet into the toe of a shoe, said rivet press being adapted to complete a riveting cycle once initiated and including an elongate rivet anvil over which the toe of a shoe may be hooked, a trip device comprising: trip means capable of movement substantially transverse the length of said anvil and positioned so as to be engageable by the inner surface of the heel of a shoe the toe of which is hooked over said anvil; and a switch actuable by movement of said trip means for initiating the operation of said press.

7. In combination with a rivet press for inserting rivets into the toe of a shoe, said press being adapted to complete a riveting cycle once initiated and including an elongate rivet anvil over which the toe of a shoe may be hooked, a trip device comprisingz normally locked trip means capable of movement substantially transverse the for locking said'trip means and a cam for releasing said sear, said trigger wire being attached to the cam for releasing the sear in response the presence of a shoe toe at the end of the anvil.

No references cited. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH APPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON A SHOE, A TRIP DEVICE COMPRISING SHOE POSITIONING MEANS ADAPTED TO FIT WITHIN THE TOE OF A SHOE, TRIP MEANS ENGAGEABLE BY THE HEEL OF A SHOE THE TOE OF WHICH IS HOOKED OVER SAID SHOE POSITIONING MEANS, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE 